Behind The Wheel

When you look at the surge in hiring for the auto industry in the U.S. one factor overlooked is the fact America has become a huge auto exporter.

In fact, the U.S. is on track to set a record for auto exports.

Look at the numbers compiled by IHS Automotive for CNBC:

Year Vehicles Exported

• 2010 1.4 Million
• 2011 1.56 Million
• 2012 (est) 1.65 Million
• 2015 (est) 2.02 Million

Why the surge in exports?  » Read More

AP

Wondering which Super Bowl ad run by the automakers is generating the greatest buzz?

You could pick almost any ad and you wouldn’t be wrong.

Chrysler’s two minute halftime spot featuring Clint Eastwood lead to just a 13% increase in traffic at Edmunds.com.

But based on the chatter I’m seeing online it’s clear Chrysler has to be pumped by the reaction. Meanwhile, I’m not hearing as much commentary about the Fiat ad, yet Edmunds.com says Fiat page views jumped an incredible 2,388%.

The point is, predicting the reaction to the Super Bowl ad blitz from automakers is impossible. The more important question is how many of those ads will spur sales.  » Read More

Boeing is inspecting its newest plane, the 787 Dreamliner for possible repairs to the carbon fiber composite structure of the plane.

The issue involves a problem known as delamination.  In laymen terms structural stiffeners, or shims, were not attached to the composite skin properly. 

Over time, this can cause delamination, or damage the carbon fiber composite skin.

Boeing is not releasing many details about the problem or inspections.  In a statement, Boeing said it "..has found that incorrect shimming was performed on support structure on the aft fuselage of some 787s."

The company added, "There is no short-term safety concern. Repairs, should they be needed, will be implemented in the most efficient manner possible."

The problem was discovered within the last couple of weeks.  Boeing will not say how many Dreamliners have been identified as having a problem with their shimming.

Boeing has delivered 5 Dreamliners since September of last year when All Nippon Airways took the inaugural delivery last September.  The 60th Dreamliner is currently on the assembly line at Boeing's plant in Everett, Washington.

While the latest issue is not considered an immediate safety issue for the Dreamliner, it raises more questions about the manufacturing process of the 787.  The program has been plagued with problems and costly delays since Boeing launched it in 2004.

Wall Street is watching the 787 program closely as Boeing has set an aggressive schedule for ramping up deliveries of the Dreamliner over the next two years. Boeing currently has a backlog of more than 800 orders for the Dreamliner.

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Lost amid the Super Bowl hype and the better than expected jobs number was a very strong prediction from Toyota.

The Japanese automaker says it expects global sales in 2012 to rebound to an all-time high.

We’re not talking about an all-time high for Toyota

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If Toyota hits its sales target it will be an all-time record for annual sales by any automaker.

Here are Toyota’s 2012 projections:

• Japan Sales: 2.32 million (up 30%)
• International sales: 7.26 million (up 18%)
• Global sales: 9.58 Million (up 21%)
• All-time annual sales record: 9.55 million (GM 1978)

What’s behind the dramatically higher sales expectation?  » Read More

Anne Rippy | Riser | Getty Images

So much for auto sales slowing down in January.

As the automakers reported their sales for the start of the year it became clear the combination of pent-up demand and a slowly improving economy are driving more people into the showroom.

 » Read More

Getty Images A salesman helps a customer shop for a used car at Novato Ford in Novato, California.

Call this another example of the boomerang effect from the auto downturn 3 years ago now helping out an industry on the rebound.

It’s the three year pinch in used vehicle supply that is creating a lack of options for car buyers.

So buyers who might have bought a 3 or 4-year old vehicle are instead expected to rotate over to the new car showroom. Essentially, the pinch in the supply of 3-year old used vehicle is expected to further fuel new car sales.

How much? That’s hard to say.  » Read More

Gene J. Puskar / AP

This should have been a day to celebrate at Ford headquarters. It announced a pre-tax operating profit of $8.8 billion for 2011, its most profitable year since 1999.

Instead, the company missed earnings estimates by a nickel and investors are focusing on the company's conservative outlook for 2012. (Track Ford Stock Here)

As a result, investors are looking at Ford and wondering if the automaker has plateaued.

This is the new world Ford is facing. Its struggles with Europe (lost $190 million in '11), rising commodity costs (up $2.3 billion in '11) and a so-so profit margin (5.4% in '11 vs. 6.1% in '10) are the issues nipping at its heels. They are also some of the reasons investors look at Ford and say, "Where's the next leg of growth."  » Read More

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Is this as good as it gets for Ford

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The automaker is expected to post 4th quarter and full-year 2011 earnings that may be the largest ever in the history of the Blue Oval.

Yes, a big chunk of the earnings will come from a one-time gain on tax credits booked in the bad years. Still, when you strip out that non-cash gain Ford may be close to its biggest annual net profit.

With that in mind, I'm increasingly hearing reporters and others in the auto industry asking if this is as good as it gets for Ford?  » Read More